Phonology - Intonation Flashcards
What are the three variables related to tonic syllables?
Whether they rise, fall, or remain level.
The degree of change.
Their placement within a range.
What is important to remember about tonic syllables?
They are also known as the nucleus.
They carry the main pitch change in a sentence.
They carry the prominence in a sentence.
They can be as short as a one syllable sentence.
What is the tail?
These are the prominent syllables following the tonic that complete the pitch movement.
What is the onset?
If there are two prominent syllables in a tone unit, the first is called the onset, and the second is the tonic.
Since an utterance can be said in more than one way, a possible prominence can also be an onset.
What is the head?
The part of the tone unit from the onset up to the tonic. If there is no onset, there is no head.
What is the pre-head?
All the non prominent syllables prior to the head.
If there is no head, the all non prominent syllables leading to the tonic are the pre-head, i.e. there can be a pre-head even if there is no head.
